| Author | Message | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Advanced Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 4486 Registered: 8-2002 |
LMAO, that was definitely not me...! (Although, had i thought of it, i would've asked...  ) | ||
| Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice)
Member Username: Stickanddice Post Number: 830 Registered: 11-2002 |
Actually, J. the key fob has this thingy that unlocks the doors when you are near. So it is entirely possible to get in the car without so much as a glimpse. Now turning the car on and driving away is another story! Cheers | ||
| Ben Cannon (Artherd)
Member Username: Artherd Post Number: 389 Registered: 6-2002 |
Nika- F-car ownership is an ongoing saga, some good, some bad, some scary, some really really fricking great! ;) Re-do the electrical system, and clack through some gears. PS: you don't come with the car? Then I withdraw my option to purchase! (someone actually asked that? lol.) | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Intermediate Member Username: Jay Post Number: 1361 Registered: 10-2001 |
Only one thing wrong with a Corvette...everytime you put the key into the door you have to look at it! | ||
| Ken (Allyn)
Member Username: Allyn Post Number: 963 Registered: 10-2001 |
Hey, Stickanddice, I never thought of that!! I'd better find out, huh? Or better yet, maybe not! LOL | ||
| Vincent (Vincent348)
Member Username: Vincent348 Post Number: 509 Registered: 4-2003 |
Nika, Hang in there! Vincent. | ||
| Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice)
Member Username: Stickanddice Post Number: 814 Registered: 11-2002 |
Geez Ken, would your wife know, from experience? How large of a test group was sampled? JUST KIDDING!! I apologize, it was just too easy. I like to leave family out of flaming...Well, from now on. Cheers from a Vette owner | ||
| Ken (Allyn)
Member Username: Allyn Post Number: 962 Registered: 10-2001 |
My wife calls Vettes 'Pr!ck cars'. Cars for men with little pr!cks. Smart woman. (Apologies to any well hung Vette owners in the house!) | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Intermediate Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 1227 Registered: 5-2002 |
To quote the Corvette mantra: On a quiet night, you can hear metal cars rusting. Or perhaps you can also hear Ferrari timing belts drying out and their electrical systems sizzling. | ||
| Jeff Green (Carguy)
Member Username: Carguy Post Number: 311 Registered: 10-2002 |
So THAT'S why people laughed at me when I owned Corvettes? And I thought it was the car..... | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 972 Registered: 12-2001 |
OOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooops - why do I know I am going to get into trouble with that last post! OUCH | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 971 Registered: 12-2001 |
Gosh Darn Horsefly - you are RIGHT - yet AGAIN - I just noticed I was lacking in male genitalia and I thought to myslef "Why don't you get a Vette to commemorate that fact"! Sheeeeesh - What was I thinking?????? | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Intermediate Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 1226 Registered: 5-2002 |
Admit it Nika. You're just looking for an excuse to buy a newer Corvette convertible like Ed Gault did a few months ago. You secretly desire to drive around with the peace of mind knowing that timing belts will not be snapping, power windows will actually work when needed, air conditioners will blow icy cold on a hot day, etc. You can confide in me. As for the SUV, know how you feel. Some Bozo put a hammer to the door lock of my truck a while back trying to break in. Oh well, nothing that a few hundred dollars won't cure....assuming that one can find the time to take it to the shop. | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 969 Registered: 12-2001 |
ok......I've received a boat load of messages from people interested in the car. While I am NOT happy with him - I don't give up that easy. It's been a tough week - the SUV was hit and no one was kind enough to leave a note....the car had issues....did a sponsorship deal for a racerchick and was shut out.....just to name a few things..... sorry but I do need Mister Bumblebee for a little while yet - he is the closest thing to prozac that I would take. and to the person that e-mailed and asked - NOOOOOO I DON'T come with the car! sheeeeesh! | ||
| Ken (Allyn)
Member Username: Allyn Post Number: 961 Registered: 10-2001 |
I'm kind of married to the alternator I have although with some fabrication there are options; it's powered off the camshaft and you don't want anything too big. My battery is new. I like the headlight swap idea although my Lucas lights are still working quite well (call the papers!). The car is so loud that I've really put off the stereo upgrade anyway. I like the look of the period Blaupunkt cassette even though it's a piece of sh!t compared to today's stuff. | ||
| Modified348ts (Modman)
Member Username: Modman Post Number: 624 Registered: 11-2001 |
Ken, you could still add a power and and headunit and still play music at night with no problems. How? upgrade the alternator, check your battery if it needs it too, get HID's so they won't dim on you and they require less wattage (35) compared to 55+. Of course wire them getting direct power from the battery with proper amp. fusing and proper gauge wiring to prevent resistance that causes meltdown. | ||
| 89TCab (Jmg)
Member Username: Jmg Post Number: 476 Registered: 9-2001 |
FWIW, I just picked up a 2.5# Chrome Halon Extinguisher with a Prancing Horse Logo (sticker) from Competition Components - 888.741-5542 | ||
| Tyler (Bahiaau)
Member Username: Bahiaau Post Number: 754 Registered: 12-2001 |
"hey - Made my decision......Mister B is going away..... "  Nooo, Nika say it isn't so. | ||
| DJParks (Djparks)
Member Username: Djparks Post Number: 276 Registered: 2-2003 |
...............and I thought love hate relationships were only limited to GT4 owners.............. DJ | ||
| Ken (Allyn)
Member Username: Allyn Post Number: 958 Registered: 10-2001 |
Modman, I think I freaked you out! I do have a fire extinguisher in the bonnet. And I sort of exaggerated about the 4 fuses; it has 4 that the FACTORY put in. The radio and electric fuel pump have their own fuses so I really have 6. But electrical problems on Europas are common; I don't drive in rain and I think over the years that has helped; I've never had a grounding or any electrical problem. I have the original wiring mostly but some things are modified. My (Ferrari!) air horns have a relay and the windows have updated wiring. But it's all still right on the edge of what it can handle. If I ever put in a nice CD with a seperate power amp I'll have to decide on either music or headlights at night. | ||
| Modified348ts (Modman)
Member Username: Modman Post Number: 616 Registered: 11-2001 |
Oh, forgot, keep at least 2 fire extinguishers in the car, (large sized) after hearing these incidences. The last car that caught on fire that I owned was made in Italy, coincidence? I think not. When I bought my 348, I gutted it and redid some of the connections cause I knew what to expect, but before the electrical operations I had problems with connections at the door causing window roll up problems and the power mirror switch is the worst piece of crap ever made concerning with switches, it had to be designed by some knucklehead with no knowledge with electricals and I'm not joking one bit, man was I pissed how shitty the parts are used in these cars, I'm sure the newer cars are a little better but I'm not convinced they are MUCH better. I could go on and on but why bother, most have experienced the horrors of it and for those who didn't, well just wait and see, it's a time bomb waiting to go off.... | ||
| Modified348ts (Modman)
Member Username: Modman Post Number: 615 Registered: 11-2001 |
A car with a total of only 4 fuses!! damn, holy sh**! are you kidding me, no wonder why problems happen, you can't run too many things on one large amp fuse as if one item starts to build resistance the part will go bad before the fuse will ever blow, now that is common sense, who designed the electrical system on these cars? a lousy spaghetti chef? Modern cars will have at least 25 plus fuses for each component with another one before it to run many after it. I would redo the entire fuse block, measure current resistance with a multi meter with each component running and measure the amperage and then you'll get an idea what fuse rating will be needed. I haven't seen a car with only 4 fuses and I never thought it would be possible to have a car pass an electrical safety test like that. The wiring on Italian cars are worse than the Lucas wiring on old Jaguars. I hate cars with fusible links too. | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Intermediate Member Username: Jay Post Number: 1345 Registered: 10-2001 |
Nika, Gentry lane has the fuse boxes in stock at a reasonable price. Looking at those boxes I often wonder why an electrical fire isn't more common. Now I know why you didn't show up on Sunday! Give Rock a call. | ||
| Douglas A Hunt (Boxercrazy)
New member Username: Boxercrazy Post Number: 34 Registered: 11-2002 |
Nika,i have been checking out that yellow boxer at legendarymotorcars for a while(got that url in my ferrari favorites folder) they had a red daytona for a while,even took it for a "dreamcar" ride at the end of one of their shows!!!! please convince them to do the same with the yellow boxer,i know they will listen to you!!!! douglas hunt | ||
| Sunny Garofalo (Jaguarxj6)
Member Username: Jaguarxj6 Post Number: 557 Registered: 2-2003 |
DES, Kermit. Sunny | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Advanced Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 4390 Registered: 8-2002 |
Nika, you're no seriously getting rid of Mr. Bumblebee, are you...? What could you possibly name a Porsche...? Hmmm... i hope this all works out; i'd hate to think that you two would go separate ways... Keep us posted... | ||
| Crawford White (Crawford)
Junior Member Username: Crawford Post Number: 52 Registered: 3-2003 |
ditto that! | ||
| DJParks (Djparks)
Member Username: Djparks Post Number: 269 Registered: 2-2003 |
Mine's yellow so it's all good. DJ | ||
| Dave Penhale (Dapper)
Member Username: Dapper Post Number: 697 Registered: 4-2002 |
NIKA any F car is COOOOL in yellow, you know that, I know that, the rest know it but are afraid to admit it, think its a manhood thing. | ||
| Ken (Allyn)
Member Username: Allyn Post Number: 945 Registered: 10-2001 |
Nika, you sound like this is your first Mr. Bumblebee problem and you're overwhelmed by it. It's just a car and it can be fixed. I went through that frustration last year when my Europa had 4 catastophies in a row after 3000 trouble free miles: water pump, bad carb (it turned out) broken window motor and shot heater valve. Plus it wouldn't start under 30 degrees. I swore I wasn't up to the task after all of restoring this 30 year old car but the fear of "I told you so's" from my wife made me calm down, attack each one in turn and outside of the $3000 water pump (TC owners will sympathize) I got it all together with minimal expense. And now I have a dependable daily driver (no snickering form other Lotus owners please). Your problem is simple. You can attack it your self and probably save big $$$ if you just set your mind that you CAN do this. Find out all the devices on the fuse (easy on a 308; my car has a TOTAL of 4 fuses!!). Check them one by one with a volt meter. It seems the fuel pump is a good place to start BUT it could be something else. Find the short/bad ground...whatever. It may take time but this is what your $75 an hour (more?) mechanic will do. Even if you have him (her?) do the work, just finding the fault will save $$$. Do wwhat you can, let the expert do what he must. Then have a beer. | ||
| Modified348ts (Modman)
Member Username: Modman Post Number: 611 Registered: 11-2001 |
Looks like more spaghetti and pasta again. Fuses don't necessarily blow fast, a resistance can cause heat before a fuse can blow and if a meltdown begins and contacts arc before the fuse or fuses blow, wires start frying away. If only more sense and effort was put into these cars in the electrical system we'd have more time to enjoy them on the road then trying to figure out what's wrong. | ||
| Hans E. Hansen (4re_gt4)
Intermediate Member Username: 4re_gt4 Post Number: 1423 Registered: 4-2002 |
I bet it's a fusebox meltdown. Some of the connections get corroded, including/especially the rivets. They get hot, melt. The condition just gets worse, and the contacts holding the fuse go haywire. They get REAL hot, and they give the appearance that something is wrong with the fuse, and/or the circuit involved. Very Common Problem. Replace fusebox, but BE SURE to *completely* solder it up before re-installing, else you'll have the same problem again someday. | ||
| david handa (Davehanda)
Member Username: Davehanda Post Number: 873 Registered: 5-2001 |
Nika is a joking; no way would she shy away from Ferrari. Words said a in moment of clouds and dispair... | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
Advanced Member Username: Peter Post Number: 2799 Registered: 12-2000 |
"will buy a non-Italian car and become one of the crowd...." I hope you're only joking...  | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 962 Registered: 12-2001 |
hey - Made my decision......Mister B is going away..... will buy a non-Italian car and become one of the crowd..... even racerchicks get fed up once in a while | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 2570 Registered: 2-2001 |
same thing happened in my 308, the plastic fuse box Ferrari used is crapp. You just have to replace the fuse box. had to replace the circuit board in the 512TR too | ||
| Tom Bakowsky (Tbakowsky)
Member Username: Tbakowsky Post Number: 413 Registered: 9-2002 |
I think what happens is, as the pump is running it slowly starts to draw more and more current creating alot of heat. As you know it generaly takes a direct short to pop o fuse. If it is a build-up of restistance in the device that is drawing the current, then you will get a heat build-up and then eventualy the fuse will "pop" or the wiring will melt. | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 961 Registered: 12-2001 |
Dave - I was thinking that - I mean the fuse disintegrated - it didn't blow........ anyway - I'mnot a mechanic and will leave this to the experts......just bummed me out since it was a great day to drive the car Friday......and I was paying a visit to the Dream Car Garage (SPEED TV) set. BTW - they have a COOOOOOOL 512 BB in Yellow!!!! | ||
| david handa (Davehanda)
Member Username: Davehanda Post Number: 871 Registered: 5-2001 |
Tom, What seems strange is the melted wiring and fuse panel. Shouldn't the fuse have just blown, and nothing more should have happened? Or is the stock fuse a little too high a value for this application? | ||
| Tom Bakowsky (Tbakowsky)
Member Username: Tbakowsky Post Number: 412 Registered: 9-2002 |
John could be correct about the fuel pump being on it's way out. I had a customers car do the exact samething. It turned out that the fuel pump was drawing to much current because it was starting to seize-up. I replaced the fuel pump and inspected all the wiring. After that the cars was fine. If you need a pump let me know. We have them in stock. | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 960 Registered: 12-2001 |
The fuel pump one.......at least according to the book...no. 3 or 4...forget since I don't have it in front of me.... It's Mister B's way of paying me back for taking a Carrera S4 out for a test drive DANG! | ||
| John_Miles (John_miles)
Junior Member Username: John_miles Post Number: 85 Registered: 7-2001 |
Which fuse are we talking about? The fuel pump could be on its way out, drawing excessive current. Or it might be a different circuit entirely. | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 958 Registered: 12-2001 |
no - actually that white plastic box below the fuse........not the relays on the left. I bought marshmallows just in case and asked if the Doctor could prescribe Prozac..... (wipes away tear) | ||
| Jeff Green (Carguy)
Member Username: Carguy Post Number: 310 Registered: 10-2002 |
Sounds like a "near" direct short circuit or maybe a "stuck" relay. I would unhook the battery, unless your doing more diagnostic work. Do you have an extinguisher handy just in case? Am I understanding correctly...the relay turned "brown"? | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 956 Registered: 12-2001 |
So he won't start the other day...turns over but doesn't catch! hmmmmm I think fuel pump but first want to check relay/fuses etc. Play around and he starts BUT.... SO hot the ceramic in the fuse disintegrates.......the white plastic cover turns brown and the wires start to fry. NOT HAPPY.......something is WRONG Anyone have any ideas? |